equity loans, MI Michiganequity loans - MI Michigan: mortgages, loans of any type, refinancing, quick easy online quotes, home equity loans, See if you could save on your mortgage today. Step 1 - Reasons to refinance You may want to refinance your mortgage for a variety of reasons. Many people refinance to lower their interest rate, shorten their term, eliminate PMI or Private Mortgage Insurance, or change from an adjustable rate mortgage to a fixed rate. Other reasons for refinancing can include lengthening the term for lower monthly payments and/or obtaining cash from the available equity.The standard rule used for many years by financial advisors was that a homeowner should look to refinance whenever the current rate available is at least 2% lower than the interest rate on the present mortgage. This is less true today since the average home prices have increased significantly. A 1% or 1.5% decrease in the note rate can mean substantial savings at higher loan amounts. Likewise, it is not uncommon that a borrower can refinance to a rate of less than 2% lower than their current rate and coincidentally eliminate the Private Mortgage Insurance that they are paying. The elimination of PMI can, on average, equate to a .5% decrease in interest rate. The best rule for when to refinance is to calculate the savings versus the costs. If the savings in monthly payments recoup the costs associated with the new loan within approximately two years then it is a good time to refinance. Ask them to show you one house Take a tour of the house with your broker wannabe. Has she listened to your requests? Did you want to see a single family detached home with two acres and are being shown condos instead? A good real estate agent will let you know if your desires are out of whack with reality but should also try hard to find you what you want. Is she showing you what you like, or what she likes? Want to pay off home loan by the time your children are in college. Shorter term loans such as a 15 year fixed rate home loan are a smart way to ensure you can use income for other goals later in life. Plus you build equity faster. You might also find an article about the first man in America to do his mortgage refinancing from start to finish on the Internet! In order to get the cash necessary to consolidate your debts you can either use a cash out refinance of your current first mortgage or take out a second mortgage. Generally the interest rate and monthly payment that you pay on your consolidation loan will be lower if you refinance the first mortgage and take cash out. However, If the interest rate on your first mortgage is already low, then you would probably come out better with a second mortgage. The problem is, their terms often require that you use only them for a set time period. Thats fine if you trust the broker and just want someone to screen homes for you. But it can leave you hamstrung if youd like to go out and do some looking on your own or if you want to use a number of brokers. Also, compensating a buyers broker can be tricky. Paying by the hour adds up, but paying a percentage of the purchase price gives a broker the wrong incentive: Getting you to pay the highest price returns the most to him. Sometimes, a buyers broker will settle for splitting the fee with the broker who has the listing. 20 Year Fixed Rate Home Loan Helps you pay off your home faster and build equity quicker than 30 year home loan Has a lower interest rate than a 30-year loan (but higher monthly payments) Saves considerable money on total interest paid over the life of your loan The Worst House on the Best Block You may have heard this before: Its always better to buy the worst house on the best block than the best house on the worst block. Heres an extreme example. Say you live in a 2500-square-foot colonial thats only two years old. You happen to look out your breakfast nook window one day and find that the lot next door is being cleared. Thats nice, you say -- until you find out that your neighbors new house is only as big as your living room. What does that mean to you? It means your property value is going to fall. Why? Because the value placed on your house also takes into account the homes surrounding your property. How Long Do You Intend to Occupy This Property? Length of Stay In Property Loan Programs to Consider 1-3 Years 1 or 3-Year Adjustable Rate Mortgage 4-6 Years 5 or 7-Year ARM; 5 or 7-Year Balloon 7 Years 10 Year ARM; 15, 20, or 30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage |